19024/The Open Door: Demonic Interview

The Open Door: Demonic Interview
Date of Scene:	08 September 2024
Location:	House of Mystery
Synopsis:	Ducky and the JLD group interview the demon 'Sima' about her boss that has summoned slugs into New York and Gotham.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Rien D'Arqueness, John Constantine, Amy Winston, Atrice Duckstein, Cain Marko
Tinyplot:	The Open Door

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Lucifer has posed:
Though the group does not know her true name, the demon that has given them the nickname 'Sima' has been... somewhat difficult. It has gone into several strange trance-states, where it goes unresponsive. Trapped, it has curled into a weird ball on the ceiling, preferring to stick up in the corner, to simply go non-communicative and non-responsive. Damaging it in that state still got no response, as if nobody were 'home'. But this day, the demon has been agitated, figeting, and testing the boundaries of the containment.

Sima looks... like a horror. A ghastly long-limbed creature that has a black, foggy mist that clings to her limbs. Her head and neck are on backwards, which makes her clinging to the ceiling easier for her to face others. She has two extra, smaller limbs oh her lower chest, but tends to hold them close to her distended ribcage's underside. Her eyes are just reflective orbs, much like the glare off of an anime boy's sunglasses.

Overall, she's a horrific horror-moving ceiling demon. But, able to speak. They've heard her do it, before...

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien is reinforcing the binding spell on the demon before she even attempts to bring it through to the House of Mystery. Sima has been... well, not her WORST guest, but certainly not her best, either. Even now, the demon seems to want to move and fidget and is showing signs of agitation. Calling John on his phone (or whatever pases for one at the HoM), she greets, "Hello! Are we a go on the portal? This bitch is cranky today."

Not a huge surprise to anyone, of course, but since Rien has had to deal with it, she claims rights of crankiness for herself as well. As soon as she has confimration that the portal is good to go, she opens one up, stepping from her living room, into John's, and telekinetically floating the fidgety demon along in front of her. "Okay, where am I dumping the load?" Presumably John has a room for when he doesn't want to deal with a mess after.

John Constantine has posed:
"Come on in and shut the door behind, luv!" John replies.

He's been anxiously awaiting this opportunity from the moment *someone*, who shall remain nameless upped the ante for all of it - a way to fix the mess he made while trying to get information about Galactus. John's good for that, making a mess for himself knowing he'll get a chance to fix it later. One day his luck just might run out in that regard, but he's not planning on that day being any time soon.

So, while he may be chain-smoking a little more than usual, he's only had enough to drink to make himself clear-headed. When a person drinks like John, it takes the hair of the dog to clear the cobwebs.

Despite all of it, despite the higher stakes, he doesn't show any of it outwardly when Rien arrives at his home with the demon in tow. Never let them see you sweat - not even allies if it can be helped.

John also doesn't jump right into the game - this time the best strategy might be holding back and waiting for the right opening, just the right moment to maybe scare some Hell into this ugly bitch.

The room he's offered to get all this done is bare. It's a round chamber with rock walls and a large circle already drawn on the floor. All the supplies he needs to add what he needs to add to it rest on a table nearby - like a mystic torture tool kit.

Amy Winston has posed:
Before she enters the room, Amy Winston stands still, her eyes closed in concentration as a soft, shimmering light begins to envelop her. The gentle glow gradually intensifies, swirling around her like a cosmic dance. As the light builds, her everyday clothes dissolve into a cascade of sparkling particles.

The light then concentrates around her, shaping into a sleek, deep violet and amethyst-hued outfit that clings perfectly to her form. Her new costume is adorned with subtle, shimmering accents that catch the light with every movement, creating an aura of mystic elegance.

A graceful, radiant tiara, set with a luminous amethyst gem, appears on her forehead, casting a gentle glow. Her hair transforms, cascading into long, flowing waves of bright blonde and platinum, framing her face with a regal grace.

The transformation culminates with a flourish: Amethyst's eyes open, glowing with newfound confidence and strength. Her stance is both poised and powerful, her presence now exuding an air of serene authority. The final touch is a delicate but powerful aura of sparkling energy that encircles her, marking her complete transformation into Amethyst.

Once transformed into her Magical Princess persona, Amethyst followed John into the room, closing the door behind her.

Amy had seen plenty of horrors in her time, dark forces from Nilaa, otherworldly entities that defied explanation, but this demon, with her backwards head and grotesque form, was different. More unsettling, even for her.

The mist that clung to Sima's limbs seemed alive, a manifestation of the dark energy that had seeped into every corner of the room. Amy could feel it, prickling against her skin, tugging at the edges of her magic like a faint, insistent pull.

Amethyst took a slow breath, her posture poised, though she could feel the weight of the room pressing down on her. She wasn't here to flinch at shadows or be cowed by the grotesque. Her magic hummed softly at her fingertips, a reminder that she was no mere bystander in this. But this demon, with her strange silences and sudden bursts of agitation, wasn't reacting in any way Amy was used to.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky is a bit of a mess still, but she has decided that she's not going to let things get her down. She'd even sent a text to Luci to see if she could stop by Lux later since she'd been unable to after the library situation.

It is much like a normal day when she was about to head down from the apartment and down into the funeral home. But has she goes through the door she is not met with the usual stairs down.

Instead there is a rather agitated looking ceiling demon. "Ah, I see we're having a good day." the woman with the complete heterochromia muses as she closes the door behind her.

She then gives a nod to those gathered and then sends a quick text to whoever she was talking to.

Lucifer has posed:
Sima wasn't difficult to transport. In a way, it was very passive about it. Restless maybe, but not as //difficult// as some demons can be to move. The containment has forced the demon down off the ceiling. This has meant it has sat down, with it's 'back' to the group: but the head is backwards, so it is looking at them from that way, limbs curled in. It is fairly large: probably about six foot if it stood up, but it's sitting now, glossy eye-orbs just observational.

There wasn't much text response to Ducky, but then she finally gets one: 'Busy week, busy day. Not at Lux this week' with some sad face emojis. But at least he's answering, that's a step up.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lifts a brow at the transforamtion process, head canting to one side as she watches a girl transform into a princess. "You might want to find a way to speed that up. I know a lot of bad people out there that aren't going to stand around waiting for you to change outfits before they attack. Not a bad show, mind, but still." She also manages to flash a saucy grin towards Amethyst before looking to John with a lifted brow. In the circle on the floor?

Chuckling, she lofts the bound and squirming Sima towards the circle on the floor, lowering her to the ground but leaving the binding in place until they want otherwise. Extra protection. Just in case Sima's thinking of inviting friends. "So. I can tell you that it hasn't said a word of any consequence since I took it through. We've had some rough days with it, but overall nothing too terrible. No acid-spitting, no attempts to chant some bullshit about serving High Demon Lord Bignose of the Ratheap... I'm almost disappointed. All those preparations, completely unnecessary."

She gives a nod to Ducky and hooks her thumbs into her belt loops, "It doesn't like being too close to the Void... but then, few things do. All those old, alien minds just itching across the skull, trying to wriggle in through the tiniest cracks..." She makes little scratching motions towards Sima before settling back against one wall, arms folding over her chest.

John Constantine has posed:
Okay, so he's an impatient man. He decides he just doesn't have the time to pussyfoot around all of this. "You do know," John begins when he pushes off the wall he was leaning on, "...that even without knowing your bloody name, there are still a number of ways I can send you packing or at least make you wish you were gone - even if going means to Hell or... ...the *Void*." He wonders over to that table, hands hovering over some of the items there - a few are mundane like Holy water and some crosses, but others are screaming out with much more power than all of that. They're artifacts that serve as decoration in the House's library - each chosen for their particular ability to cause pain and suffering to the denizens of Hell. Out of all of it, it's a plain piece of sidewalk chalk that he picks up first.

Then he lights a cigarette.

Then he kneels on the stone floor to begin adding to that circle. "Right then," he murmurs almost to himself. "Maybe I'll just open a trap door, ey? Would hate to see you just fall right on through it, *luv*." Somehow he manages to make that last words fill up with so much disdain that it's near dripping from his mouth when it tumbles out.

Amy Winston has posed:
Amethyst adjusted her tiara after the transformation completed, her gown of mist-silk shimmering with the residual magic that had surged through her. Rien's teasing tone and saucy grin didn't faze her, though it drew a quick smirk in response.

"Noted," Amy replied, her voice light but with a tinge of challenge. "But you'd be surprised how quick I can be when it counts." She gave a playful flick of her fingers, a small burst of amethyst light crackling around her palm. "Besides, style matters, right? Can't let the bad guys have all the fun. And enjoyment." She winks at Rien with that, before...

Her eyes flicked briefly to Sima, whose unsettling gaze met hers from its backward-turned head. The demon's passive demeanor was unnerving in its own right, but Amy had learned to be cautious with creatures like this-still waters ran deep, and a calm demon was sometimes more dangerous than an aggressive one.

"Speaking of bad guys..." she said, her gaze narrowing as she took a step closer to Sima. The creature's glossy orbs reflected nothing, yet Amethyst felt the weight of its observation. "Sima, are we going to have a problem?" Her voice was steady, but there was a current of authority running beneath it, the same tone she used when addressing difficult subjects in Gemworld.

Amy's fingers flexed, the familiar pulse of magic ready in case the demon shifted from passive to something more threatening. She wasn't here to intimidate, but she needed to make sure the creature understood where things stood. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice."

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky is watching Sima for the moment and then she looks down to the phone when it dings. There is a bit of an amused look and a reply: 'Don't get into too much trouble. Apparently we're about to have a demon Q&A. Have fun!' she texts him back.

Then she settles her phone into her pocket before clasping her hands gently in front of herself and listens to what the others have to say to the demon they are holding.

Lucifer has posed:
There's an answer for Ducky: 'Demon? Who?'

But then, Sima's talking. "I have not resisted. What is the purpose of your threats, villains?" questions Sima, then, finally, after listening to Rien comment about what it likes (or doesn't like), listens to John threaten to open a trap door, and then Amethyst question if there will be a problem.

"Your assumption that there's only a hard way makes you the bad ones, here," the demon says. It has a weird, lofty voice that bounces around inside the containment, creating an odd closed-box echo: like as if it were talking inside a glass box.

"Is torture all you have? You must fear-monger? Is that your only option... to scare, intimidate?" Sima's owlish eyes stare hard at Amethyst, then. "I pity you, if so."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien just rolls her eyes at the accusations and sends a flat stare towards Sima, "You've had plenty of time to volunteer any information you didn't want tortured out of you. Do we really LOOK like the 'good guys' to you?" She pauses, glancing over Amethyst, then back to Sima, "Magical Princesses aside. We're not exactly the 'light'n'fluffy' crew."

She leans her head back against the wall and shrugs, "But hey, I've got all eternity to stand around waiting. So. Decisions. So hard, I know." Rien reaches into her pocket, pulling out a slim cigarette case and tucking a home-rolled between her lips, letting it flare to life on its own as she inhales.

Cain Marko has posed:
The arrival of The Juggernaut into the situation is...not -quite- bull into a china shop as The House of Mystery is well suited to being able to accmodate him great bulk and the shuddering immensity of his presence both physically and magically - but it -is- noteworthy. He is late, of course, but if a wizard is never late nor early then neither is a walking mega volcano or high magnitude quake. They arrive when they intend to...and don't true and argue otherwise with him.

And so, armored in the armor of the Eremplar of Physical Power and Avatar of Cyttorak, the behemoth steps forward into the room, emerging into view in full size, shoulders wide and muscles rolling like moving landmasses as he steps through whatever entry way was used to enable his arrival here. Likely a garage door used for semi trucks given the scale of him.

"Whelp. I'm here." he rumbles, deep voice echoing from the depths of the shadows cast by his domed helmet. His teeth are visible as are glinting red eyes within the holes sized for all of them but otherwise his brutal features are enshrouded.

"Sorry I'm late. LIke I mentioned, got work to do to fix my reputation. Speakin' of which..."

He looks over the room, seeing the demon and of course totally not in tune with whatever converation has already happened with it and the others. "This it? So am I takin' it with me back to the Crimson Cosmos and Cyttorak or somethin' else?"

John Constantine has posed:
"Don't let Lil' Amy's appearance fool ya, luv," John comments to Rien. "She's all pretty pretty princess on the outside, but..." He doesn't continue that thought, best to leave it out there hanging. Ducky finally gains his attention and he offers a wink and a snap point - I know you...

Then it's back to Sima.

"Well, y'know, I might be more inclined to have a lengthy chinwag about the ethics of interrogation if you were feedingn't trying to feed people to your 'mother' when last we met," John points out with that Silkie bobbing up and down. He adds a little intricate bit of rune work at the part of the circle he's kneeling in front of.

"But, by all means, should you feel like answering our questions before the threats turn into promises, we're all ears, *luv*. Don't turn this around. I don't bloody well care how hungry mummy dearest was, you were feeding *people* to her, *my* people." For as much as he pretends they're a bother, he really does care about the human race in all their imperfection.

"Besides, this isn't torture, it's bargaining. You give us what we need, and I don't drop you into the void - torture would be if I'd bloody well chosen something *else* from that table."

John looks up from his handiwork and asks, "Do you know me? My name's John. Some call me the Hellblazer - if it sounds familiar, then you should already know that I'm not above making deals to get what I need. S'far as I can tell, you've little to offer in such a thing other than answering our questions."

He plucks the cigarette from between his lips for just long enough to give his eyes a break from the smoke wafting toward them - and to use it as a pointing device when he points at Sima. "So *please*, first question - tell me why and follow it up with who?"

Cain's arrival has him cracking a half smile and shaking his head. "Mate, this one? Well, it has information related to that lil' chinwag we had at the bar. Where it gets carted to will like depend on what it says next."

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky gives a look down to her phone and types in the name that she knows it by, 'Sima is the name it gave, but it's not the real one obviously.' she replies.

Then she looks up to the demon, "You guys have been working on this for months from what I know. Or I am guessing that you are working with the others that have been at various other incidents." she states.

"I know you don't want to go back to Hell, the others didn't either, but what's the end game for you here? What do /you/ want?" she asks the questions to the demoness.

Then Juggernaut enters and she blinks. Gives him a nod in greeting and then looks back to Sima.

Amy Winston has posed:
Amethyst took a slow breath as her eyes locked onto the mist that clung to Sima's limbs. It coiled and shifted like something alive, a dark energy that seemed to pulse with its own intent. She stepped closer, her fingers rising to trace an intricate pattern in the air, summoning the soft glow of her magic. The amethyst-colored light danced around her hands, gently rippling as it reached toward the demon.

"Let's see what you're hiding," she murmured, her focus narrowing on the mist.

As her magic wove itself around the tendrils of darkness, she felt a resistance, an odd, slippery sensation like trying to grasp smoke. But Amy was persistent. Her spell probed deeper, unraveling the threads of magic tied to the mist. For a moment, there was nothing but a quiet hum, the faint tension of opposing forces battling in the space between them.

And then it hit her.

The mist wasn't just a passive byproduct of the demon's presence. It was shielding Sima, an armor of sorts, but not for protection from others. It was insulating the demon from its own pain. The realization came to her like a sudden jolt of clarity. The mist wrapped itself around the creature during moments of distress, allowing Sima to endure without fully feeling. It was a coping mechanism, an eerie and grotesque form of detachment that let the demon survive even in the worst of situations.

Amethyst frowned, her fingers tightening as she pulled back slightly, severing her connection with the mist before it could push back too hard. "This mist... it's not just for show," she muttered, half to herself. She glanced up at the demon, now understanding its odd trances and unresponsiveness. "You use this to escape pain, don't you? To shut down when things get too much."

Lucifer has posed:
Ducky's texts are empty for the moment, there's probably some activity on the other end she's not privy to. Then: 'Got a picture?' comes in, with a smiley face and a camera emoji.

Sima chooses to ignore Rien, since it decides Rien does not want to do the style of conversation the demon is looking for. It eyes Cain, but actually answers John, then. "Nobody asked questions much after you severed its contact with me. I keep information close, to use to bargain for myself. Volunteer means you destroy me sooner, no more use for Sima."

So the demon kept information until now, and seems open to a bargain. "Yes. I know you make deals. We can do that." Perhaps it was waiting for some deal to benefit it -- beyond just 'you get a few more days'.

"Why I help it? To stay here. It has a WAY. Bumbling and stupid, but a way. A stupid way. But it is not trustworthy, it was ready to eat me just to keep some hundred souls. I put some humans-- 'under the bus', sure..." The demon's getting angry, but it isn't at the people here. "But it left me anyway. The deal is broken."

A pause. "Who? I do know that, yes. It wanted to be 'mother' but he is hardly that. But I won't give you the name unless I am free. I want a nice empty house to myself." There's a light quality of the demon having a nice dream of a pretty house somewhere.

Sima stays in the dream some, the reflective eye-spots moving to Amethyst. "Disassociation.... yes."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Funny how there was no mention of a bargain until *right now*. Had all this time that it could have tried to strike a deal... nobody else around, nothing threatening it, it was kept safe this whoooooooooole time... and suddenly wants to bargain," Rien shakes her head and gives a small snort. "This thing lies without hesitation or remorse, pivots whenever convenient, and has so far not even given a hint of anything that it knows being actually useful."

Cain gets a smile and an upnod at his arrival, though the smile fades as her attention is drawn back towards the demon. She snorts out a short laugh at the demon's want. "Yup, there it is. Free ride to the surface, a house... what next, an allowance while you pick out people to corrupt and kill? Perhaps a book club? Knitting circle?"

Resuming her lean against the wall, Rien just shakes her head and waits for the inevitable.

John Constantine has posed:
Well, that's a new bit of information that John files away in his little folder marked 'who is this demon'. Many times the 'who' leads to the 'why' and many times the 'who' lends much more to bargain with than just promises of banishment.

Then it starts speaking and damned if John doesn't start to pity it a little bit. He actually stops his work and leans back to rest his arse end oh his heels.

"And if I could make this happen? Make it so you could stay here? What guarantee do I have that you won't fuck about with people? What guarantee do I have that you won't become a danger? Won't bloody well kill people?"

There's not even all that disdain dripping from his words this time, no, he's genuinely asking - his voice sincere. It wouldn't be the first time he's worked with demons and it likely will not be the last.

In regards to 'it left me anyway' John can't help but to comment, "Well, when the company you keep puts humans on the buffet, seems not the lot you should put trust in, ey?" Ashing out his current Silkie on the stone floor, he lights yet another.

"I can help you stay here or go wherever it is you wish to go - but not without some serious conditions. First one is already in place. You're a hostile in my home right now - I will always be able to summon you back here."

He pulls long and hard from the cigarette between his lips - it's really just an cover so he can think in a blink on the matter. "How about this. I manage to get you free, come up with some sort of spell that makes you look ... ... well, a lot bloody less like you and you come work at my bar so I can keep an eye on you. It even has a nice apartment upstairs."

Did he really just invite a bloody demon to be a member of his waitstaff and offer to be her landlord? Is anyone *surprised*?

"But first you tell me *everything* you know. Sorry, luv," - no disdain there even. "I can't set you free until I actually know you're willing to work with us and abide the rules of the agreement." Rules he knows the ins and outs of - the contract will be binding.

Amy Winston has posed:
Amethyst's gaze locked onto Sima's reflective orbs as the pieces began to fit together in her mind. The demon's mist wasn't just an escape-it was a tool, one used with cold, calculated purpose. As Sima spoke of broken deals and abandonment, the demon's bitterness twisted through the air like the fog that clung to her.

Pulling a diamond from her hip bag, Amethyst rolled it between her fingers, the facets catching the faint glow of her magic. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her growing understanding. "So, your mist puts you in a fugue state, shielding you from pain... from harm." Her words weren't a question anymore, but a statement, solidified by the demon's eerie calmness.

Amethyst's thoughts raced, pulling together fragments of information, the way Sima had sat so passively in containment, the way she had waited, fidgeting, but never truly resisting. And then it hit her, the realization dawning with a sudden clarity that made her heart skip a beat. Her gaze darted to John, the weight of her suspicion heavy between them.

"You allowed yourself to be captured, didn't you?" Her voice was soft but sharp, like the edge of a blade. "Just to be here... just to be close to him."

She could feel the tension building in the room, the air thick with the unspoken truth. "You're here for his bounty," she said, her eyes widening slightly as the full scope of the situation unfurled before her.

Amethyst clenched the diamond in her hand, the crystal humming with energy. "You've been playing us from the start, haven't you?" She looked back at Sima, her voice a mixture of disbelief and resolve. "You're after John, and we walked right into it."

This theory brought to you by a young Princess and magi that has seen both too many movies and had too many assassination attempts on her. John's probably right.

Cain Marko has posed:
The Juggernaut lifts one of his arms up and offers John a 'fingergun' salute with fingers the size of some tree trunks. He then rests his meat mitts back against his waist and falls silent save for the ominous creaking sound that occasionally emits as his breathing pushes against and strains his armor or causes his sinew to swell and relax. Unsettling for some, perhaps but this particular gathered crowd has plenty experience with the strange, unusual and terrible to behold.

To that end, he gives the others a nod as he acknowledges their acknowledgement of him. His gaze fully settles on Sima then, eyeing it as it eyes him back. He's nothing more to offer or contribute at this point beyond simply being here as requested.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky lifts her phone to take a quick picture of Sima. It's not a flattering picture at all...but with a frame like that could it really be?

'Feel like I'm catching demonic Pokemon.' she replies with the picture attached.

She then listens to Sima and there is a bit of a nod, "When you say nice empty house do you mean vessel or actual house? The rent here is horrendous. You'd be better off in Hoboken or something." she admits to that.

She looks to the reply on her phone, "We could find you a nice big Victorian in a little town in Illinois. Something with a big attic." she suggests.

Lucifer has posed:
"I don't want people. Bartending job.... you have found REAL torture, you disgusting human," Sima says, with actual repulsion. He found something that the demon actually really reacted to. It doesn't like people, and possibly not even this talking it is doing now, much. There is some consistency here: the demon wasn't volunteering, and mostly got agitated when it was going to be relocated by Rien today.

"'He' broke the deal with me, so I can take revenge in hell, for broken deal. But I don't want to go /back/ to hell." So she's fucked unless she goes to the place where it can claim, with the higher-up demons... which then is bad since she wasn't supposed to be loose outside of hell anyway. It has some problems.

"Nice house, NO PEOPLE." The tone suggests Sima would be dangerous if people trespassed.

But then in comes Amethyst with a theory, which may or may not be true. Sima observes all of that, as if processing it. Maybe Sima is deciding how to pivot, maybe change lie, or maybe Sima has no idea about any of it. "I could trade bounty, yes, maybe. Then I'd be stuck back in hell. But yes. I could. But not for freedom to be here. So maybe I don't say anything. Illinois attic....?" It might not know what Illinois is, but is hiding that fact. "If empty."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"You keep saying 'he'... still not hearing any sort of NAME for this demon. Before you guys get a little too deep into pitying the demon that helped kill at least a hundred people, giving it a house and whatever else it wants. It hasn't given a single piece of viable information, and we're already talking real estate."

Rien's tone couldn't be any drier if she were standing in the Sahara at noon after a week without water. She draws on her own cigarette and watches them with that dispassionate gaze, then back to Sima. "It spins a lovely yarn. So sad, poor little demon... broke the rules to join up with a bigger, badder demon... only it gets betrayed when the others show up to save the people you're happily leading to slaughter. Poor, pitiful demon that kills to get ahead in Hell. Aw."

Rien flicks a glance back to John, "Could ask the Great Red One if he wants the demon back. Not sure *I* would, seems like a shitty coward of a demon... but hey, maybe it makes good mimosas."

John Constantine has posed:
John holds up a finger in Rien's direction - jus a minute. Will he go through with any deals made here today? It's a toss up, It's John Constantine.

All that business with the chalk and such, it was mostly for show. John doesn't *need* all of that to open a portal to Hell or the Void. Doing so on the fly will take a toll, take a lot out of him. It doesn't mean it can't be done. The circles there anyway, imbued with his power no matter how simple *and* they're in the House of Mystery, his sentient Home that's so very loyal to him - for now. He could probably just ask the house to dump it somewhere.

When Amethyst starts going on about a bounty and then mentions his name, he shoves himself to his feet and takes two steps back from the circle. His arms are held out slightly hands palm down aimed at the floor inside that circle, the floor beneath Sima. He's yet to start chanting, but he's taking every precaution just in case Lil' Amy over there is right in her assumption. Anyone with the senses to notice such a thing would certainly feel the power he's drawing in preparation.

"So, from what I've found out here, it would take me ten minutes, tops, to find out your true name," John begins, and his warning isn't just some threat, it's a promise. "...Do you know what that means?" he asks, not lowering his hands. "It means that I *own* you if you step out of line. I know a nice little Sanatorium in Kentucky. But wait, they do all that busy Halloween rubbish. He could let her haunt Batsy's house, but that'd just be mean. Although he can't help but to smile inwardly at the idea.

"We'll find you something, in Gotham so I can keep my eye on you." What's a demon added to the Hellscape that is already Gotham anyway?"

But John *still* isn't letting his guard down.

"If you should ever want to collect the bounty on the Hellblazer - come and try it."

Amy Winston has posed:
Turning her attention back to Sima, Amethyst's voice took on a tone of authority. "You wanted to be free, and you want a new deal. Fine. But first, you need to answer for your actions. What is it you hope to achieve with this bounty? And how does it tie into the larger threats we're dealing with?"

She took a step closer, the diamond in her hand glowing softly. "We need clarity here. If you have valuable information, you need to give it to us. Otherwise, you're risking far worse than John's sanctions."

Her gaze was unwavering, a blend of royal authority and deep concern. "Help us understand your true goals, and maybe then we can find a way to resolve this without further conflict."

"I'm not of Earth. I can send you to a magical plane where Hell, as far as I know, does not exists. A nice little isolated life with no magic, and you can learn to fish and build and live out your life."

Cain Marko has posed:
"If it just wants a house, build it a house somewhere on the moon or out in the middle of the artic or something." suggests Juggernaut, still looming there in the same physical pose but at least contributing something verbally now.

"You put it anywhere near where people might wander in and it's goign to get to snackin' on meat and souls or somethin'."

The rest of the conversation isn't anything he has much to add to. It's not that it goes over his head per se mind you. One could be forgiven for being surprised at how much understanding Juggernaut actually does have on these matters.... But if there's no need for him to break limbs, mystical or otherwise, then he's mostly just set dressing. The demon seems to be cooperating more.

That's to bad. Juggernaut frowns ever so slightly. He'd been hoping for at least a little drama.

Ah..but there it is.

When John makes the move and the discussion of the bounty truly reaches Juggernaut's ears and understanding he slowly removes his hands from his waist and lets his arms hang at his sides while adjusting his stance slightly as if preparing to move forward.

"So is this thing useless then?" he asks, simply. "Wasting our time? I got places to be but I'll at least take out being bothered on its hide if it doesn't hurry it up. We can stuff its mangled remains in some house somewhere I guess. Just to be nice about it. Course there's the whole 'murderin' folk' thing but if it's living eternity in agony might be a fair trade..." Then Amethyst has to go be nice and offer it a vacation spot away from it all and Juggernaut shrugs and returns his hands to his waist. "Better take her offer.."

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky seems a bit sympathetic on the not having a place to go to. But she also realizes that demons can't be left unchecked to just...do what they want on the Earth. She heads over to the others, "So Attic Fog Demons this size are pretty rare. Does anyone have a library handy?" she asks in a quiet tone. "I seem to have left mine at home and I haven't digitized mine at home." she looks apologetic at that.

Lucifer has posed:
Ducky's text continues: 'Where are you now? I'll strip her. In a fun way.' Four smiley face emoji follows. Then some fire, and dancing man. The emojis are a bit obnoxious: and it's intentional, no doubt.

Sima orients through the chat to try to do what they asked: answer the questions. "Questions." Ok. "I get a house. Here or a magical place. Acceptable." Sima then sifts through the questions.

"Yes, Hellblazer. I know what it means." He asked a yes/no, and Sima does know. Yes. "Gotham is fine." Sima added more bonus information to the question.

"What is your question?" Sima asks Rien. "I speak name, he may know it. I want to be done here first before he comes." Sima doesn't really know the rules of the house, so it's making some assumptions here: but still shows Sima's perspective.

"I could see using bounty to make punishment less in hell," answers Sima to Amethyst's question. "I don't know what it is valued right now. I'm not a bounty hunter. But opportunity--eh." It will take opportunities in front of it!

"Not useless," answers Sima, flatly, to Juggernaut. "Nice house. Attic, basement." This is Sima's version of haggling: adding rooms to the house. Though those who are cluing in on what kind of demon this is may realize that she'll have control of the house and can build it out over time anyway, into some maze of 'GET THE HELL OUT' layout.

Sima scowls at Ducky's question, and doesn't answer it, but there' some mutiny in that one, frustration that she can't stop that line of discovery on her name, no doubt.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien stares at Sima, "One. What is the name of the demon that slipped out of the slug demon? The one that broke your deal. Two. Why does it need to eat people? Three. What is it's plan? Four. What is the goal it hopes to achieve?" She ticks things off on her fingers. Keeping the questions short and specific so Sima can't wiggle around them.

Flicking a glance at John, she murmurs, "This demon isn't going to clear the bounty on you unless it KNOWS that it has a clean shot at you AND at getting away. It has neither. Calm your tits, Constantine. We're getting away from the point of this whole meet up. So either we pull it back on track or you might as well either kill it or release it for all the good that's being done just now." She motions to Sima, "You've already all but promised it a house and it's freedom and it hasn't told us shit."

Turning, she sends a level look to everyone, "That means STOP OFFERING THE DEMON SHIT. We need SOUND INFORMATION before we start packing it's fucking bags." She points at John, "That includes you. You keep talking about houses and placements, no questions about what you want." Then to Amethyst, "Seriously. STOP OFFERING THE MASS MURDERING DEMON NICE THINGS. You don't reward cold-blooded murder without getting anything from it." Ducky is doing research, nothing she can really bitch about there. And Cain just gets a nod. Because nobody fucks with the Juggernaut.

THen back to Sima. "I asked you four questions. I expect a response to each. No more bartering until we have solid information. We can haggle over details after."

Amy Winston has posed:
"You're right," she admitted, holding up a hand to acknowledge Rien's point. "We shouldn't be offering it anything without solid intel. But I'm not rewarding Sima, I'm testing her." Her tone was firm, but not defensive, as if she understood the stakes. "She's not going to give us what we need through force alone. Demons thrive on leverage and deals, and if we want useful information, we need to play their game." She feels the heat in her cheeks. She's used to Nilaa the last two years - not Earth.

Amethyst glanced back at Sima, then to John, before refocusing on Rien. "But you're right. No more offers until we have something concrete. I just don't want to overlook a potential lead in a rush to punish." Her voice softened, the tension in her shoulders easing a bit. "There's a line between testing a demon's resolve and caving to its manipulation. I'll be careful. We all will."

And she rescinds her offer with a grumbled, "It wouldn't have been /that/ nice." she says as she steps back to take a seat.

John Constantine has posed:
John *has* a library, but one that a single book with mentions of Attic Fog demons and their names could be found without knowing the layout? Probably not - it's a cavernous room with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, some with ancient and cracked bindings, some shiny and new. "Yeah, but it doesn't have a card catalogue, ey, luv?" he replies to Ducky. "But I think it should be in the section right above the dragon claw dipped in bronze maybe?" He's not even sure there are enough Deweys in the decimal system to cover all of them and by dragon claw, he means *dragon* claw, that thing his huge with an entire seven foot tall section of shelving dedicated just to it.

"No one can find you in this House and no one will hear your screams," he all but growls.

"All right then, we've made our offers and you've given us *nothing*. ENOUGH! Tell us who you were working for!" An angry John Constantine can be an intimidating John Constantine despite his lanky appearance. Hands that were palm down, now go palm up. His head tips back just a touch, eyes rolling to show more white than blue and then nothing but Hellfire.

He begins to chant. But it's clear to anyone that knows him that he's holding back - dragging it out - giving Sima a chance to actually *be* useful before the power culminates into what he needs it to be. The really of it is that, here, in this House - he doesn't need a true name. He wouldn't even need one to summon her back to it.

He's done making threats - unless she talks *now*, he's done making threats.

"Per abyssum qui omnes devorat, Per umbras quae lucem consumunt, Evoco aeternam fauces vacui, Aperi portam ad noctem infinitam. Per sanguinem meum et antiquam maledictionem, Sit porta ad vacuum soluta."

Even with the slow burn, Sima would feel the hunger and darkness of the void calling from beneath her.

Cain Marko has posed:
Putting a demon in an abandoned house in Gotham to hang out and live, with the Bat Family and The Rogue's and occasional vampire covens and other nonsense?

...Sounds fair. At least Juggernaut's not going to be the one to be any sort of voice of reason here. He'd actually love to see what chaos may result from that.

So he keeps silent and doesn't offer any counter suggestions , figuring to just wait for the aftermath of that particular route showing up on the news or in gossip at The Bar With No Name later.

The demon asserts that it is, in fact, useful...and Juggernaut just glances off to the side with a slight roll of his eyes, clearly not agreeing with that assessment and once again returns to being set dressing. Although as Rien turns to speak he looks towards her and then gives a light shrug, hands up turned and lifted from his waist almost helplessl as she nods at him. The tactics being employed here haven't been up to him but he also seems to be in full agreement with her.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky steps back to not crowd anyone after her information is given. Then she gives a soft nod to John, "Completely understand that." she tells him. Then she looks to her phone and taps out a quick reply, 'Apparently a house that belongs to John Constantine?' she replies back. "Just catching up with a friend." she states as she slips her phone into her pocket and clasps her hands in front of her again.

She herself has not threats or aggressive actions to add for the moment.

Lucifer has posed:
Ducky gets her answer: 'Oh, the mystery house. Sure. I'll be along, but I can't stay for drinks.'

And John may feel some 'pressure', as a request comes across his magical bow. A specific knock from Lucifer. Polite.

--

So, there come the direct questions for Sima. Demons are just too prone to sidestepping, 'mishearing', or moving around partial things like 'Tell us more' that the lack of directness was working against the group. 'More' could have meant Sima giving a recipe for dip. She did keep most of the answers about what she wanted, though.

But even that is a clue here. Sima //wants// things....

"I said before I'll give the name at the end. I want to be leaving when the name is said." Still true, and more defensive than a bargain, at this point.

Second question... "He eats everything. Demons too. He's a gluttony lord. They consume constantly. But they... know what everyone wants. And they can get it for us. Usually they make good deals."

Gluttony is about 'wants', at the core of the sin. Wanting, and lacking self control, usually. "There's something off about him. He is somehow caught between Hell and here. So he can bring us out, without a hellgate. Like his... stomach is here. I think his plan is to move here, and not be in hell anymore, but I don't know. A lot of us want that." Their wants aligned.

"I think if he gets strong enough, eats the right things, he can be here, but still have all his hell resources, vomit them up. I don't have the rank to do something like that. I wanted one of his places he left behind as he gets bigger. He's like me, can meld into a //place//. Maybe he wants to be a city." There's a pause, and some expectance that they understand: "Gluttony demon lord." SHRUG. So, this is normal, to want to be a city.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Watching Sima carefully as it spills what it knows, Rien is reaching out to John to set a hand to his wrist lightly and giving him a glance. She steps away from the wall and towards the circle, "Tell us more about how you think his stomach is in this realm while he's in Hell. That seems both highly unuusual, and not something that could be gotten away with easily. Is that how he got around Lucifer? By sending his stomach to the material plane while he remains physically in Hell until he's consumed enough?" That's three questions. Well, one statement to tell more, and two questions.

She keeps the hand resting on John's wrist, 'holding him back' so to speak, now that Sima is providing actual information. There's a glance sent around the room, seeing who else recognizes who the 'he' is, or possibly is. Then back to John, "Pinch it off, cher. I think we need a bit more detail here. If you need to, send the backlash my way." Is that a thing? Can he do that? She certainly seems confident that it is and he can.

Crouching down near the edge of the circle, Rien looks at Sima. "Keep talking, and we might just make that house in Gotham happen after all... I'm certainly more inclined to just let you play Rose Red off somewhere remote."

John Constantine has posed:
John stops chanting even before Rien has his wrist. "Bollocks," he grumbles with those Hellfire eyes still turned heavenward. The devil just needs to stop dropping in like this, people will *talk*. "Someone's knocking," he whispers to Rien. But his voice is not a whisper when he addresses Sima. "Someone's knocking at my door, Sima and it's someone that you do not want to bloody mess with. So, give us the name *now* or I let him in."

It's a bluff, sort of, it's not like he's *not* going to let Lucifer in to do his will with this pain in the ass demoness. "You felt that bloody pull, ey? The void hungering for you? Well, what's about to walk through that door will be so much worse than the Void or your 'master'. Talk *now* and I'll help out get out of here before he shows up, ey?"

Lucifer would get just a little nudge back - just a minute - John Constantine giving Lucifer the mystical 'just a moment' finger? At the same time, he bids the house to allow some of that 'all-powerful' energy that is Lucifer bleed through.

"Tick-tock. Give a name and live or don't and... I open the door."

The House does John's bidding and goes one further - it opens just enough of a viewport for Lucifer to watch and listen without being scene. Lucifer *knows* John, Lucifer knows that as soon as he has that answer, the door will be tossed wide open for him to come right on it. "Answer her questions and then answer mine is it the Many or the Immense?" John asks without invoking the true name of the demons in question and giving Sima a chance to answer without doing so as well.

Amy Winston has posed:
A strange sensation rippled through the air-like a sudden drop in pressure before a storm. Amethyst stiffened, her senses prickling as the magic around her shifted, almost recoiling. It wasn't the kind of presence she was used to detecting, not the familiar hum of Gemworld's magic or the subtle pulse of Earth's natural energy. This was something else, something vast and unfathomable, a power so ancient it felt like the weight of time itself had leaned in.

She blinked, her breath catching as the air around her seemed to thrum, thickening with an oppressive force. For a moment, her magic felt muted, dulled by the sheer presence of whatever had arrived. She instinctively tightened her grip on her crystal pendant, seeking its familiar comfort, though it did little to settle the unease crawling up her spine.

"What... is that?" she murmured under her breath, her violet eyes scanning the room. It felt like the walls themselves were holding their breath, as if the House of Mystery had sensed it too. Whatever it was, it wasn't just powerful-it was primal, an energy that didn't belong to the mortal or magical realms she knew.

Amethyst's heart quickened, her mind racing to identify the source. But nothing came to her-no name, no face, just the overwhelming weight of something ancient, dangerous, and entirely beyond her understanding.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
Ducky gives a look to her phone and there is an amused smiles before she replies, 'Returning all your Christmas presents.' she texts. Followed by, 'I know you're busy...with things.' she chuckles. Like Hell.

She thinks it's going to be a little too late for Sima unfortunately. People were less willing to wait on things and that was absolutely fair in cases like these.

Lucifer has posed:
Ducky gets a bunch of laughing emojis about the presents. Lucifer has no problem with that 'wait a second' thing. There's a sense of deep amusement about it, though not LOTS of patience. Which is good: Lucifer has some deep SWING in terms of emotional areas. All of this suggests that Lucifer doesn't mind if they bat the mouse around first--within reason. A minute or two, maximum.

Sima is still in Rien's questions. "To get us here, he ate us in hell. But we can sense the pain of it. It hurts to be split like that. I don't like possessing creatures, but I can, so I can sense that." Sense what the other demon felt physically during the transfer. "There's lots of ways around Lucifer, if you........"

But then Sima trails off, and fixes that, sensing what John is doing, and hearing him. "...If you make a bargain with the bigger lords that know the paths," Sima manages to get through. "or you get summoned by magi humans."

Sima appreciates the query of title, and is able to give them the identity, finally, "He is many mouths, many wants, many desires, many treats.---- Can I go?"

Sima feels intense pressure about the arrival, but then realizes.... "Oh. No 'go' now, is there." Defeated, Sima sinks, to curl into a smaller ball on the floor. "Hifazodhon tricked me. I lost my house, I wanted a new house---" That's a plea, and it's sort of at the 'air'.

--

And another person is meandering into the location. Some of that heavy pressure drops away, that primal heartbeat and Eye of Sauron just... reduces down to a low ebb. There's no //need// for it. The man that comes in is a guise, a face that Lucifer often uses when he is being 'himself', but within human understanding and parameters. He's a little offputtingly handsome, in a 'too much plastic surgery' sense of the way. Human, but uncomfortable. But it's not 'oh, this person isn't human,' either. It's more like someone wanted to stand on that line, and did so on purpose! He's extremely pale blonde, not overly tall, leanly athletic. His suit is of a thousand-dollar styling, and very white, with dark red collared shirt, no tie. There's no Devil vibe here, exactly. Because he doesn't need to flex, so he's not.

"Hi," he greets. It's mellow, upbeat, like he came in to pick up his carry-out meal. "Ready for me?" Is the carry-out done? His smile is bright, warm, sunny, and is given to everyone---other than Sima. There's a comfortable, relaxed quality here, but some undertone of heat.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Well, shit.

That energy is well-known, a signature that can't be ignored. She glances over to John. Someone really was knocking. Rien lets out a small sigh and straightens.

"Thank you, Sima. Don't give up just yet.." not because she won't still be in a metric ton of trouble. But because she's still useful. Which makes for a bargaining chip. She glances over to Lucifer and smiles, "Might want to let this one cook a little longer, cher. Still got some meat on the bones. Assuming you want the big fish, not just the bait, oui?"

Rien looks to John and lifts a brow at him before looking back to Lucifer with that same warm smile. "There might be some barter to be done here."

John Constantine has posed:
"That," John begins, attention on Amethyst, "...is Lucifer." He drops that name as if he's just talking about a neighbor - only a neighbor that he's mildly annoyed with. "So, I'm guessing the Many is the right answer," he grumbles. It's not even so much that he's grumbling at Sima - although she does still share a portion of his irritation.

"Cheerio, mate," he returns in greeting to Lucifer. But then he's stepping between him and Sima. "Here me out now before you go runnin' off with your toy, ey? How about we wind it up and send it back the way it came. It could be our inside man so to speak. Let it prove its loyalty and its worth - if it doesn't, well it knows how this'll end. If it does, we set it up with an old house in Gotham and watch the chaos?"

John's hoping that he's appealing to both Lucifer's sense of strategy AND his sense of humor. Seriously, how funny could it get to have a Rose Red haunted house in Gotham with Batsy?

He shrugs, hands out and palms up, little twist of a smile on his lips. "Balls in your court, Luci, but I think it could be helpful, ey?"

Is he going to bat for the demon's benefit? Oh no, he's going to bat for his own benefit. John's a smart man. He knows Lucifer has this demon dead to rights and, no matter what it prattles on about, that demoness knows it too. John's doing this for *John*, a means to get to the Many and the bottom of all this more quickly - a means to get the new lien off his soul more quickly. If Lucifer can appreciate anything, it's a man looking out for his own best interest, right?

To those new to the circle, it becomes quickly and disturbingly clear that John Constantine has a working relationship with The Devil - even if it is a tenuous thing that bounces back and forth between Lucifer wanting him dead and - well not wanting him dead.

...he and Rien seem to be on the same page, ey? He just added a little more meat to the bones.

Cain Marko has posed:
It seems that the matter is under control. The demon is being appropriately cowed and answers are coming forth. Again - a shame. It's hard to not want violence when one is the avatar of power and destruction itself. Kind of comes with the territory.

But he's still human by birth and human in command of the power and such urges and said human is pleased that matters seem to be well in hand. Seemingly.

Juggernaut lifts his hands from his waist and ends up crossing them across his vast chest. He leans from one side to another, adjusting his weight and stance and then he turns as Luciver enters the scene in his own way. If he felt the impending pressure of Lucifer's arrival he manages a good poker face and so gives no indication of it other then a slight narrowing of his eyes in confusion ...particularly upon actually sighting what seems to be the source of that feeling, as if ...unable to equate any of that to the sunny and charming figure that has just wandered into the room.

"Huh." he grunts, ultimately pursing his lips and cranking an eyebrow up.

Then when John identifies Lucifer by name, -both- of Juggernaut's eyebrows lift up slightly and his arms unfold. ".Oh..'Luci'...." he muses aloud, forgetting to use his inside thoughts and not actually verbalize the name that John had thrown around the other day. Just confusion all around.

"....Not...what I was expecting..."

Amy Winston has posed:
Amethyst's pulse thrummed in her ears as John made the introduction, the overwhelming presence filling the space like a shadow that had finally stepped into the light. She couldn't place it, couldn't even define it, but it was undeniable ancient power woven through every breath. And then, she saw him.

Lucifer.

His very existence commanded attention, his presence more intense than anything she had ever encountered in all her travels between Earth and Nilaa. The room seemed to bend around him, reality itself warping under the pressure of his being. Her instincts screamed at her to be wary, but Amethyst had never been one to shrink from the unknown. She was a princess, and she would carry herself as one.

Taking a breath, she stood tall, her chin lifting with the grace of royalty, though there was a subtle tension in the way her fingers hovered near her pendant, ready to summon her magic if needed. But here, in front of him, she chose words over spells and offered a polite curtsey.

"Lucifer," she greeted, her voice calm but steady, eyes meeting his with a mix of respect and caution. "I am Amethyst, Princess of Nilaa-what you might call Gemworld. A realm of magic, far from here, but its power runs through my blood."

Her posture remained regal, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She was speaking to the Devil, or something close enough that the distinction barely mattered, but she would not be intimidated. Not outwardly.

"It's an honor to meet you? though I imagine we don't meet by accident. What brings you to us today?"

Her words were diplomatic, but there was no mistaking the edge behind them. Amethyst, while aware of Lucifer's terrifying power, would not lower herself into fear. After all, she had faced darker shadows before: though perhaps not quite this dark.

Atrice Duckstein has posed:
She was just joking about returning his presents, really! Ducky gives Lucifer a little finger wiggle wave, but doesn't move to intercept him or anything. She'd got him here. Everything else was out of her hands and into others. And she doesn't even take any credit for getting him here really.

"I'm just going to...see myself out one of these doors and hope one is back to the funeral home or to a blood spider." she states as her mismatched gaze looks to the door.

Lucifer has posed:
Amethyst's greeting is the most proper, over all the others, and she gets the most direct attention first, from Lucifer. "Good evening to //you//, the pleasure is mine, Princess Amethyst." Extreme politeness, as one might expect from the most gracious of the angels. His aura flushes with charm. "Happy accidents... maybe." He gives Ducky a slight look and smile, but doesn't say that she called him. "Just here to collect." The vagueness mixed with the charming aura ends up smelling more like menace than it otherwise would.

Lucifer doesn't look upset at John and Rien, but he does look--maybe 'put out' is the correct term. "You could have mentioned this before I left what I was doing. I enjoy my orgies," Lucifer observes, as if the group had requested him here, only to tell him to leave. The orgies thing could just be to play with them a little, or it could be real. Or both. But then again, his arrival caused a critical shift with Sima: in that the demonness has now become as small as possible. And Lucifer is very aware.

"I'm not going empty-handed, but yes. I do want the Many. That is our bargain, John. Not for her." Lucifer gestures loosely at Sima.

Cain's confusion and verbalization of it gets a playful grin from Lucifer. In that grin, though, is possibly a lot more of what Cain is expecting. The Beast is not far under this very, very thin mask. If mood shifted, the flame could arrive.

"So if you want her for now to help you with that... that is fine with me. But again. Not empty-handed. A punishment is due." Lucifer orients on Sima, stepping right over the containment circle -- partially into it. THAT is the first flex he's done. He curls his hand, and Sima wails loudly, shrinking down to half of her size, as Lucifer strips power directly out of her, in a streamer of fog. It's quick and simple, and Lucifer steps back out. Sima looks miserable and little, more like a demented child.

"There now. Everyone happy?" Lucifer asks, with a flare of cheer and flippant hand gesture.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lifts both hands towards Lucifer and offers an easygoing smile, "Had I known you were being invited, I would have suggested a wait. I'm not one to drag someone from their pleasures to deal with business." She looks towards John and gives a light shrug. They're on the same page but she hadn't been aware of the outgoing call to draw in Lucifer.

Dropping her hands, she'll step aside as Lucifer passes, glancing towards Cain with a chuckle, "He rarely is." She steps back to watch Lucifer do his thing with Sima. She's not really sympathetic to the demon... but it does suck to have a boss that can yank your power out the hard way.

"Thank you. We appreciate the restraint," she nods to Lucifer before looking back to Sima. House with an attic is still on the table for them. If the demoness can work with them.

John Constantine has posed:
"Oy, I'm the one what should be offended here, didn't even get an invite. I'm crushed, mate," John shoots back in response. The response could just be to play with him a little, or it could be real disappointment. Or both?

"Bollocks, you neutered her," John complains further. But, in a way, that's not a bad thing. If she goes crawling back without her powers, it's more believable that she barely escaped the clutches of that horrible John Constantine - horrible horrible, cruel man. He can almost hear her groveling and moaning already.

His next words are aimed at the pitiful Sima. "So, you got all that, luv? You're going back in as a spy for Lucifer - muck it up and I don't think I need to explain the consequences, ey?" He's pretty certain the demoness gets it, but he has to make sure that he makes it clear as crystal.

"Until we figure out the hows and whens of it, Sima can stay here. I'll even make certain the room has corners."

Then he addresses Lucifer again, "Pleasure as always, mate." Is it possible for those words to sound both genuine and *not* at the same time? John manages it.

Cain Marko has posed:
"....Oh yeah, -there- he is..."

Juggernaut has stood face to face with his patron, even slugged it out with him before. A primordial elder entity in his own realm. His representative here on this Earth - and he still 'sees' The Beast and sort of just purses his lips and then nods his head with a 'Yup, that looks about right' when he catches that glimpse of hellfire in the depths of 'Luci's eyes.

He falls silent once again, simply listening as the VIP arrival makes his answer to John and Rein and then proceeds to make charming mockery of the barrier that had been setup around Sima to enter in and enact his own brand of judgment upon the pitiful creature.

Seeing the condition Sima is in now, Juggernaut -almost- feels some empathy, or at least pity, for the demon in its present state...but then again - murderous demon aiding another murderous demon lord so....he ends up just shrugging in a sort of 'Well what can ya do' sort of gesture, particularly as the others seem to be accept Lucifer's actions and fall in line with it.

Amy Winston has posed:
Offering a polite, royal smile to Lucifer, Amethyst's eyes narrowed slightly at Lucifer's response, sensing the layers beneath his words. His politeness was flawless, almost disarming, but there was something in the way he carried himself-effortlessly charming, yet brimming with an undercurrent of menace. She had encountered many beings who wore masks of civility, and Lucifer's felt like the most practiced of them all. Still, as a princess, she knew how to maintain composure in the presence of power.

Her violet eyes, bright with curiosity and wariness, studied him closely. "Perhaps I'm wrong," she added with a faint, almost playful smile, though her gaze remained sharp. "But I've learned to be cautious when someone that is handsome speaks with such... eloquence."

A polite bow of her head, it seems that John or someone else has already secured the deal, so she steps back to allow the others to handle the situation.

Lucifer has posed:
"Naturally be as cautious as you feel necessity for, though I hope I earn any further pause," Lucifer answers Amethyst first, with a polite acceptance. The distrust is very normal, slightly exhausting, as always. He is what he is, and the reactions lend poorly. "Though my role here is intended to benefit all of you. Removing demons back to hell for punishment should please you, I think?" A reminder that there is no current deal... save the one with John, that the others may or may not be aware of.

But Lucifer isn't going to drag John's business out in front of others, when it's private. A soul is a private thing, at least until John airs it himself.

"Well, the offer is open, if you'd like to be part of the party. For the next... nine hours or so. Consider yourselves invited to the debauchery at Lux." John wanted orgy, he can come enjoy if he wants to. And so is anyone else: Cain and the rest earn the smile too.

That's Lucifer: offering the sin, but never any force. Free will, come sin if you like.

"I'll come for Yalis'sima in two weeks, if I haven't heard back." There isn't a sense that he won't extend it, but more to put a fire under Sima -- Yalis'sima. With that, Lucifer takes his leave.